Muscleaneous

May '08

Feature Article from Hemmings Muscle Machines

HMM to sponsor Goodguys Muscle Car AwardHMM will be the presenting sponsor of the Goodguys 2008 Muscle Car of the Year award. As part of a new partnership, HMM will run photos of all 2008 Muscle Car of the Year finalists as they are selected throughout the event season, and publish a feature article about the winning car at the end of the year.
The Goodguys/Hemmings Muscle Machines Muscle Car of the Year award is presented to a muscle car built between 1955 and 1972. Regional finalists will be selected throughout the year from each of the 19 Goodguys events that feature muscle cars. The award is designed to honor a superior factory stock or fully restored muscle car. Contestants wishing to have their muscle cars considered for the award must park inside the "Mighty Muscle" corral at the 19 Goodguys events in which a finalist will be selected. View the Goodguys 2008 event schedule and other Goodguys news at www.good-guys.com.
NASCAR-style Superbird clone to be auctioned for charity
If you're old enough to remember the original 1970 Plymouth Superbirds racing around NASCAR tracks, this story might interest you. In 1970, the Superbirds literally lapped the competition at the 1970 Daytona 500, when Pete Hamilton won. Hamilton's boss, King Richard Petty, was in second place, but he blew up the Hemi in his car.
Now, Year One has teamed with Ray Evernham Racing and wrestler/auto-maniac Bill Goldberg to create an updated legend, a NASCAR Superbird. "Goldberg said he wanted it to be as close to a real NASCAR stock car as possible for the street," said Year One project designer Phil Brewer. "It's pretty much going to be an old-school Superbird, in particular, how we're going to handle the body."
Year One extensively photographed an authentic NASCAR-spec 1970 Superbird at the Talladega Superspeedway museum. Period-correct NASCAR modifications will include the custom transmission tunnel, moving the rear spring pockets further up into the floor, adding a stout X-brace to tie the subframes together, installing larger wheel tubs and a generous radius treatment for the wheel openings.
While the body is all retro, the power is modern. Evernham's shop will contribute a NASCAR-spec 358-cu.in. Dodge engine, without the NASCAR-spec restrictions. This engine would produce about 750hp, but it has been de-tuned to run on pump gas. Backing the engine is a feather-weight Tex Racing four-speed manual transmission feeding an 8¾-inch rearend. This car started as a complete Satellite, which had endured an older and poor restoration.
The NASCAR Superbird will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson in 2009, with all proceeds benefiting the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, which pays for spinal cord injury research. Gwynn was paralyzed in a drag racing accident in 1990.

This article originally appeared in the May, 2008 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.